Early that morning, Morgan appeared and with the swish of a finger, created a large chest with an entire new wardrobe just for me. I stared blankly, not sure what to think of the sight. She chuckled and apologized for not telling me about her powers sooner. It turned out, like her brother and Greyson, Morgan could use magic as well. 

"I hope you'll find something in there that you like. If not, do let me know!" She smiled before leaving. I fished through the chest for a long baby blue sweater and a pair of leggings. They were amazingly soft, and I felt instant comfort the moment I put them on. When I left my tent, I found Victoria, Kouhei, and Trish sitting in a small circle of chairs, eating their breakfast. The atmosphere was one of a peaceful meadow, not far from the sea for I could smell the salty sea air. 

"Oh, Julianna! You took too long, but I saved you a plate. You gotta be quick in the morning or these pigs will eat all the good food!" Victoria greeted as she held out a dish for me. I took it thankfully and sat down in an empty chair. I was dying to know more about Nicole, and who she really was, but I had to wait for the perfect opportunity to ask. I sat quietly listening to their morning chatter until everyone was ready to leave for the boardwalk. 

It was strange to see all those who she had met last night in casual attire. Even the Ringmaster himself was wearing a red flannel with blue jeans. "Everybody ready for a fun day? We are going to divide into two groups. Morgan will be in charge of all those under the age of fourteen, I will be in charge of the rest of you. It is important to stick together, do not go off on your own. Alright, let's get going!"

He led us down a flowery, downhill path. With every step the smell of the ocean drew nearer. I was lost in thought about this curious place and was watching my feet carefully dodge the prettiest flowers when someone bumped into me. I looked up, startled, just to see it was Trish, who had nudged me playfully. I smiled. I was beginning to worry less, and I felt lighter being with these people. But with the peace came a new and fierce curiosity that I never knew. I wanted to know more about everyone here, and how they got here, and how any of it was truly possible...

Soon the Ringmaster pushed back a few branches revealing that our journey had come to an end. The boardwalk was now just a few feet below us. The abundant lights and rides reminded me of Coney Island. I'd been there once when I was younger, for Janson's birthday.

Everyone cheered and ran down, all in a competition to see who could reach the boardwalk first. I felt the urge to join in, and before I knew it I was speeding down the steep path. Gravity almost pulled me off my feet but I kept my footing and chased after the others. 

"Didn't I say to stay together?" The Ringmaster yelled playfully. "Darn kids, no one listens to me anymore. Maybe I'm too old. Morgan, am I still cool?" 

"You were never cool," laughed Morgan. 

"Greatly appreciated, sister. Thank you."

~~~

Morgan and the Ringmaster did a final headcount while I looked around at the other people at on the boardwalk. It was rather crowded and full of fairies. I found it strange how easily I had conformed to the idea of fairies walking around like normal kids. When did I conform to being around crowds in general? Normally the cacophony and atmosphere of an amusement park would have driven me away immediately. 

The older kids and I mapped a route to take throughout the park. The first ride was the ferris wheel, which I was apprehensive about, but I was dragged on by Victoria who insisted on sitting with me. The rest of the pairings on the ferris wheel confirmed some of my observations I had made about the relationships of my peers here. Trish and Kouhei were a dynamic duo. It was obvious that Trish looked up to him, and they were always teaming up to play jokes... especially on Victoria. Greyson and Ty were another duo, inseparable and constantly cracking jokes and placing bets on silly things like how many corn dogs they would eat. Then there was Vaughn and Zach. Vaughn didn't talk much, and Zach was extremely social and kind-hearted. In a way, they complimented each other. Jai was another quiet one, but he and Aanya seemed to have a strong connection through their music. 

Although many of them seemed to have strong connections with a single person, they were all still a giant family, something I was starting to feel a part of. As I spent more time with them, I began to realize how familiar their quirks were. Victoria had been a friend of mine once upon a time. Her overreacting when feeling victimized and strong Australian accent were iconic traits of hers. 

"So how are you liking it here?" Victoria asked as they began their ascent around the ferris wheel. 

"I like it a whole lot. I feel... at home," I smiled nervously. 

"That's great! We are always happy to welcome in new friends. Although, I'm so curious to know why Catherine thought she recognized you. She is a silly girl, always with her head in the clouds. But maybe you were here once before?" She asked, but the contradicted herself by saying, "No... no, typically kids who come here can only come once. They don't come back."

I rubbed the back of my head. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know how it works. I... I do know some of you. I remember you all as imaginary friends from my childhood. That can't be a coincidence can it?"

"Hmm..." Victoria stayed silent for a while, thinking. Soon, the subject was changed when we reached the top of the wheel. "Oh, oh! Look! Look at that view!" She shouted and pointed right into the vast land. 

From this perspective, you could see that we were on what seemed like an island. The tents were far beyond a vivid forest of fiery fall colors. But beyond that, the world seemed to fade into white, as if nothing existed beyond it. Was it fog? Or was it just as it appeared? I looked around and noticed that every area of the land's perimeter faded in a similar fashion. 

"You look confused. We don't really know what's beyond the fog, but who cares, really? We've got all we need right here!" Victoria placed her head on her hands dreamily and stared out across the landscape. 

"What a peaceful, timeless world. I could never imagine leaving." 

I nodded in agreement. 

~~~

Later, after watching Ty and Greyson stuff their faces, and purchasing normal-portioned snacks for ourselves, we sat by some tables and took a break. I tore apart a wad of cotton candy, taking small pieces and savoring the sweet flavor. I felt as though the Ringmaster was watching me, but every time I looked up, he turned away. What was with the people here and staring? I wouldn't claim myself to be the most polite person, but I knew not to stare. 

"You two are disgusting. It definitely shouldn't be physically possibly that you spent eight hundred coins on corn dogs," said Jai, covering his mouth as though he may vomit. 

"I did what I had to do to win, okay?" Ty said, his statement punctuated with a burp. 

Greyson laid his head in his arms somberly. "I'm disgraceful..." I heard him whisper and could not help but laugh. 

The Ringmaster threw his head back and laughed. "You two boys have extraordinary skill. I envy you both. Although, if you anyone at this table throws up I will temporarily be abandoning my guardian duties. I don't clean up puke."

"Ringmaster..." Vaughn beckoned in a hushed tone. 

"Hey, I'm serious. I love you kids, but such bile is where I draw the line-"

"Ringmaster. Two o' clock," Vaugh spoke with greater urgency. 

The man's smile faded quickly as he turned his head slightly to the right. I turned and followed his gaze. Several meters away I could see a peculiarly tall woman. She was thin and pale, like pure white fabric stretched over a skeleton. She had long hair like black silk and dark black eyes. She was staring in our direction. 

Nicole. 

The Ringmaster stood discreetly.

"Everyone, listen. Zach, send out the warning message. Morgan will have her phone on her. Warn them immediately. Split into small groups and spread out. If anyone is in a dire situation, call my name..." He whispered and left immediately, walking purposefully in Nicole's direction. 

Everyone stood up simultaneously and began to disperse as though they'd trained all their lives for this day. I was frozen in my seat and not knowing where to go when Greyson touched my arm and said, "Quick, just follow us."

~~~

I followed Greyson and Ty as we pushed throw the large crowd. Where were we going? Ty and Greyson seemed to have a plan, so I trusted them. After about five minutes, I built up enough courage to turn around. I bit my hand hard to avoid screaming when I realized that Nicole was a mere fifteen feet away. 

I tapped Greyson's back urgently. He turned around and saw exactly what I saw. His eyes widened and he cued Ty to walk faster. We came across a closed tea cup ride with no line. Ty and Greyson exchanged glances and both nodded in some sort of agreement. 

"Julianna, follow me," Greyson whispered and pulled me onto the ride. We sat in a rusty green tea cup and Greyson pulled the safety bar over us.

"What is happeni-"

"Just trust us."

Ty dove into the ride operator booth and closed the door. He was protected by a glass window by the time Nicole stepped right up to the booth silently. She stood there hauntingly, staring into Ty's soul and not saying a word. 

"Sorry, ma'am. Ride's already starting. You'll just have to wait until this one is over," Ty acted like a friendly ride operator and pressed a button that start the ride. We began to spin slowly, and as time went on the ride picked up speed. 

"Better try to relax, we might be here for while," Greyson said, trying to catch his breath on the spinning ride. 

"Why is that?"

"Nicole is impatient. If we keep spinning, and the ride never ends, she will get tired and leave eventually."

And so, we spun. Nicole had turned away from the booth and was now staring at us. Although we were spinning rapidly, I could still feel her icy stare that made my blood freeze. The ride continued to speed up and threw me against Greyson. I looked up in embarrassment, but could see his mind was elsewhere. And his face was turning green. 

Just ten minutes ago, he ate a total of eleven corn dogs. 

"Greyson, hang on," I said with a slight chuckle at how ridiculous the situation was. 

He nodded slightly and looked straight forward, focusing on not getting sick. 

We spun for ten minutes before Nicole left. Once the coast was clear, Ty stopped the ride. Greyson practically leaped off the contraption and laid on his back on the concrete, clutching his stomach.

"I... I hate corn dogs, Ty. I hate them," He shivered. Ty and I laughed, both from Greyson's unfortunate condition and from general relief.